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Bills from the 2013–14 session

Senate Bill 32

Age and speed restrictions on, and safety certification requirements for, the operation of all-terrain vehicles and utility terrain vehicles

Became law

The governor signed it on Jun 24, 2013. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Feb 19, 2013

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Apr 9, 2013

  4. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed May 14, 2013

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2013 Wisconsin Act 15

Latest entry in the official record, Jun 24, 2013: “Published 6-22-2013”

Read the bill

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What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, with certain exceptions, no person who is at least 12 years of age and who was born on or after January 1, 1988, may operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), and no person who is at least 16 years of age and who was born on or after January 1, 1988, may operate a utility terrain vehicle (UTV), unless he or she holds a valid safety certificate issued by the Department of Natural Resources, another state, or a province of Canada that indicates that the person successfully completed a program of instruction on ATV and UTV laws and safety. One of the current law exceptions to this requirement allows a person to operate an ATV or UTV exclusively on land under the management and control of the person's immediate family without a safety certificate. This bill creates additional exceptions to the safety certificate requirement. The bill specifies that a person is not required to have a safety certificate to operate an ATV or UTV on land under the management and control of a person who consents to the operation of an ATV or UTV on his or her land.

The bill provides that, for this exception to apply to a person who is under 12 years of age, the person must be accompanied by his or her parent or guardian or by a person who is over 18 years of age who is designated by the parent or guardian (designated adult).

Read the full summary

This bill also exempts from the safety certificate requirement a person who operates an ATV or UTV at a sponsored ATV or UTV demonstration event, provided that the person wears protective headgear, the person operates the ATV or UTV in a closed-course area, and, if the person is under 18 years of age, he or she is accompanied by a parent or guardian or a designated adult.

Current law allows a person to operate an ATV or UTV on the roadway portion of a highway only under certain conditions. Under one of these conditions, current law generally allows a person to operate an ATV or UTV on the extreme right side of a roadway that is designated as an ATV route. Under another condition, current law allows a person to operate an ATV or UTV on a roadway of a highway that is an ATV trail. This bill specifies that a person who is under 16 years of age may operate an ATV on a roadway under either of these two specific conditions only if he or she is accompanied by his or her parent or by another designated adult.

Under current law, no person may operate an ATV or UTV at a speed exceeding ten miles per hour when within 150 feet of a dwelling. Under this bill, this ten mile per hour speed limit also applies when the person is operating an ATV or UTV within 100 feet of another person who is not operating a motor vehicle. Under the bill, the ten mile per hour speed limit does not apply to a person operating an ATV or UTV on a roadway that is designated as an ATV route.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its ⁠. 2 are Republicans and 1 is a Democrat.

8 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 11 names

Authors (3)

Signed on in support (8)

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 4 votes on this bill.

Senate Committee on Transportation vote on an amendment

Passed, 5 to 0 · Apr 5, 2013

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it

Passed, 5 to 0 · Apr 5, 2013

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Transportation vote on an amendment

Passed, 15 to 0 · Apr 25, 2013

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report introduction and adoption of Assembly Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it

Passed, 15 to 0 · Apr 25, 2013

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 15, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Jun 24, 2013

    The new law was published.

  2. Jun 24, 2013

    The governor signed it. It became 2013 Wisconsin Act 15.

  3. Jun 20, 2013

    Sent to the governor.

  4. May 14, 2013

    “Action ordered immediately messaged” (the official wording)

  5. May 14, 2013

    The Senate adopted it.

  6. May 14, 2013

    The Assembly passed it too.

  7. May 14, 2013

    The Assembly adopted it.

  8. Apr 25, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  9. Apr 25, 2013

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 15 to 0.

  10. Apr 15, 2013

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.

  11. Apr 9, 2013

    The Assembly received it.

  12. Apr 9, 2013

    The Senate passed it.

  13. Apr 9, 2013

    The Senate adopted it.

  14. Apr 5, 2013

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.

  15. Apr 5, 2013

    “Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0” (the official wording)

  16. Mar 14, 2013

    The committee held a public hearing.

  17. Feb 19, 2013

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs.

  18. Feb 19, 2013

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Feb 19, 2013 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Leibham, Petrowski and L. Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives Severson, Ripp, Bies, Brooks, Czaja, Endsley, Kestell and Murtha

  2. Feb 19, 2013 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs

  3. Mar 14, 2013 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  4. Apr 2, 2013 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Leibham

  5. Apr 4, 2013 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Apr 5, 2013 · Senate

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  7. Apr 5, 2013 · Senate

    Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military Affairs, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  8. Apr 5, 2013 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  9. Apr 8, 2013 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 4-9-2013 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  10. Apr 9, 2013 · Senate

    Read a second time

  11. Apr 9, 2013 · Senate

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  12. Apr 9, 2013 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  13. Apr 9, 2013 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  14. Apr 9, 2013 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  15. Apr 9, 2013 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  16. Apr 9, 2013 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  17. Apr 15, 2013 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation

  18. Apr 22, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Kaufert and Severson

  19. Apr 23, 2013 · Assembly

    LRB correction

  20. Apr 23, 2013 · Assembly

    Executive action taken

  21. Apr 23, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Committee on Transportation

  22. Apr 25, 2013 · Assembly

    Report introduction and adoption of Assembly Amendment 2 recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 15, Noes 0

  23. Apr 25, 2013 · Assembly

    Report concurrence as amended recommended by Committee on Transportation, Ayes 15, Noes 0

  24. Apr 25, 2013 · Assembly

    Referred to Committee on Rules

  25. May 8, 2013 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-14-2013 by Committee on Rules

  26. May 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  27. May 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  28. May 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  29. May 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  30. May 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  31. May 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in as amended

  32. May 14, 2013 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  33. May 14, 2013 · Senate

    Received from Assembly amended and concurred in as amended, Assembly Amendment 2 adopted

  34. May 14, 2013 · Senate

    Rules suspended to withdraw from committee on Senate Organization and take up

  35. May 14, 2013 · Senate

    Assembly Amendment 2 concurred in

  36. May 14, 2013 · Senate

    Action ordered immediately messaged

  37. May 16, 2013 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  38. Jun 20, 2013 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 6-20-2013

  39. Jun 24, 2013 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 6-21-2013. 2013 Wisconsin Act 15

  40. Jun 24, 2013 · Senate

    Published 6-22-2013

Terms on this page

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary